Getting Rose
by RuthieG
Summary: Now complete.Rose and Ten reunion fic. The Doctor finds a way back with the help of an old friend.
1. Prologue

A/N

A small chapter to get started, next chapter may be up later or tomorrow. I hope you like.  
Could be linked to my series called scene changes, which is what this prologue was written for, but then I had a few ideas that could come from this story.  
Well here goes and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Standing in Jack's office after the team had left for coffee, Gwen watched Jack closely.

"I thought i'd lost you" She said quietly.

"Can't get rid of me that easily" He replied with a smile.

Jack stood up and embraced his best friend. He tilted her head so that she faced him, as tears threatened to fall. He looked deep into her eyes as he leant down to kiss her.

"Most people know they've been teleported, you guys are so sweet" Came a voice from behind Jack.

Jack paused to look back into Gwen's eyes, with a big smile he replied. "That's my line"

"I just couldn't resist" The voice replied.

"Jack where are we?" Gwen said looking around the cavernous room that wasn't the hub.

"I'm home"


	2. Chapter One

See new chapter up already. Still only setting the scene, the adventure starts in the next chapter.

* * *

"Welcome home Jack" The Doctor said and opened his arms in invitation. 

Jack left Gwen's arms for The Doctor's embrace.

"It's good to be back" Jack replyed from where his head was buried in The Doctor's neck.

"Doctor have we landed yet?" Came a voice from the corridor.

Jack suddenly took a step away. He looked at The Doctor and then at the new arrival.

"Where's Rose?" Jack cautioned the doctor with a warning in his eyes.

"Martha, take Jack's... Urm, girlfriend?" At Jack's acceptance he continued "To the kitchen, we'll see ya there in a bit. We need to talk."

"It's through here" Martha said indicating to the corridor she had just come through.

"It's ok Gwen your safe here" Jack said before Gwen began to follow Martha down the corridor.

* * *

Jack turned back to The Doctor when Gwen had disappeared to find that the mask The Doctor always wore had gone. Jack stepped back to The Doctor and held him as silent tears streaked down his face, all he said was "she's gone" over and over. Jack had never seen The Doctor show his emotions so clearly. 

"Where's Rose?" Jack repeated. He started to think the worst, that Rose had died. Until The Doctor started to talk, tears still falling.

"We were at the battle of Canary Wharf. Did you know what Torchwood London was doing?"

"No, I didn't. I didn't until we were being overrun by Cybermen. Then I had Daleks to deal with. We had our own battle happening here in Cardiff"

"Well, Torchwood London were responsible for those ghosts, which were Cybermen. They opened up a rift that was in London and sucked them in. The Daleks followed the Cybermen through the void." The tears had stopped but the emotion was thick in The Doctor's voice. "We, me and Rose, opened up the void and sucked the Daleks and Cybermen into the void. But a Dalek hit Rose's lever, which meant the breach started to close too early." A smile came to The Doctor's face "She was so brave. She reached for the lever, and pushed it back up so the breach went back to full strength. But it was too strong... She was pulled towards the breach." The tears began as that day ran through his mind in slow motion.

"She's in an alternate universe, where I can't reach her. I... Said goodbye, but... Not what I wanted to say."

"You were gonna tell her you loved her" It wasn't a question that Jack asked it was a statement.

"I was but I ran out of time. A Timelord that ran out of time" The last bit was whispered but Jack still heard it.

"So Rose is in an alternative universe." He thought about it for a moment "Travel between dimensions used to be possible didn't it?"

"Yes, when my people where in existence."

"And because they are gone you can't?"

"What are you getting at, Jack?" He said with a hint of anger. He felt that Jack was playing with his emotions.

"The TARDIS can't sense other Timelords, but a younger TARDIS can."

"I suppose so..."

"So all we need is a TARDIS whose timeline is before the Time War"

A slow smile spread across The Doctor's face. He'll be with his Rose soon.

* * *

Martha led Gwen to the kitchen. They had been sitting in silence since they arrived. A pot of tea was going cold on the table in front of them. 

"Where am I and who are you?" Gwen asked the young woman in front of her.

"Well, this is the TARDIS" Jack said walking through the door. "But I don't know her." He fixed himself a coffee and sat next to Gwen.

"She's Martha Jones" The Doctor said just as Martha was about to reply.

"I can speak for myself" She told The Doctor as he took the seat between Martha and Gwen.

"Martha, this is Jack and Gwen. Jack used to travel with me and Rose"

"Gwen works with me at Torchwood Three in Cardiff" Jack finished off the introductions.

"I think its more than that Jack" The Doctor hinted, with the smile still firmly in place.

"Yep, I hope so." Jack took Gwen's hand before continuing "It's still new though."

"Right back to business" The Doctor said to the group around the table.


	3. Chapter Two

Hi Everyone. A new chapter here for you. Thanks for the reviews, next chapter tomorrow.

hr 

"What's happening Doctor?" Martha asked before The Doctor could start his rambling.

"We're going to get Rose." He replied before looking at Jack. "I've set a course for San Francisco"

"Why San Francisco?" Gwen put in before the others. All were thinking the same thing.

"Well...We have a TARDIS to steal, and my eighth incarnation was kinda distracted there."

"So she'll be easy to take, but will she let you?" Jack asked.

"During the problems on the Gamestation, when Rose came back by absorbing the heart of the TARDIS. She has a connection with the TARDIS going back to her creation. I'll just create a telepathic link with Eighth's TARDIS and show her what happened to her Rose and she'll take me to Rose."

"So how long till we land" said Martha.

"We'll be in San Francisco in less than an hour"

"Well we better get ready to steal that TARDIS" She replied, getting up from her chair and leaving the kitchen to go to her room.

hr 

Martha was sat on her bed with a half packed rucksack beside her. She didn't want to leave The Doctor, but with Rose coming back he won't want her playing the gooseberry.

There was a knock at the door and when she didn't answer she heard the door open slowly and looked to see Jack's head peer inside. As they made eye contact, she nodded to allow him into her room.

"Why do you seem to be packing?" He asked softly.

"That's because I am." She said getting up off the bed to continue.

"The Doctor ain't gonna kick you out you know?"

"He won't need me when his has his Rose back."

"He will always need his friends, Martha. Rose won't wanna see ya leave either, she ain't like that."

She stopped what she was doing and looked into the blue eyes that had seen so much, more than his age would show. She considered what she should do and decided to place the almost filled bag into the bottom of the wardrobe, without unpacking it.

"I'll stay for now, but that'll stay there until he has Rose back and then i'll decide for certain.

"Ok, but talk to him first if you decide to go."

"I will. Thanks Jack"

"Your welcome Hunny, now lets join them in the console room we'll be landing soon.

hr 

Jack and Martha entered the console to find The Doctor doing his usual routine of pushing buttons and pulling leavers as the TARDIS began to materialise.

He went to the door, opened it, and walked into the dark park.

"Welcome to San Francisco, December the 31st 1999." He said with a flourish. Placing a hand on the door of Eighth's TARDIS. "And it's two minutes to midnight"


	4. Chapter Three

A/N: We're getting closer to Rose.

I'm hoping that I can start to make my chapters a little longer.

There are references to Rise Of The Cybermen.

To see Eighth's TARDIS visit here http://en. size=1 width=100% noshade>"Won't you realise that the TARDIS has gone? The Eighth you?" Martha asked as she went to The Doctor's side.

"I don't remember the TARDIS going missing, but the Eighth me is rather busy at the moment" and he's off into his memories as he remembers what his previous self is doing.

"It's another woman isn't it?" Jack said with a smirk on his face.

"Urm, yep. Grace Halloway. We spent this night together and then I asked her to come with me but she said no." He looked thoughtful again and then continued "Nothing happened between us and it's just as well, as I was called back to Gallifray."

"The Timewar" Jack whispered, but The Doctor heard him.

"Yep, but after the Timewar, I met Rose, so I lost one world and gained another."

And after that the conversation was stilled as The Doctor got out his key and opened the door to the TARDIS.

* * *

The Doctor entered the TARDIS and went straight to the centre and touched the smaller console. The others were shocked to see the complete difference in this TARDIS and the one they were used to. A lot of the areas they were used to like the sitting room and study were contained in the console room.

The Doctor put his hand on the console and started to talk to the TARDIS. Jack was watching him closely, he knew that when The Doctor showed her what happened to Rose, that he would be upset. And sure enough, The Doctor had silent tears rolling down his cheeks as he relayed his memories of that day. Jack placed his hand on The Doctor's shoulder in comfort and when The Doctor had finished talking to the TARDIS he nodded his head in thanks to Jack.

"The TARDIS will take us to Rose, but we will have to spend some time in the vortex while she searches for her."

He puts the TARDIS into the time vortex and left the console area and sat down at his desk. The rest of the group watched as he got comfortable, facing away from them. Taking that as a cue to leave him to himself, they leave to find the kitchen.

They don't see the tears running down his cheek again.

* * *

In the kitchen, which happened to be next door to their kitchen, they sit around the table while Jack made the group tea and coffee.

"Who's Rose?" Gwen asked Jack as he sat down with their drinks.

"You can't really describe Rose. She was fantastic, the only human girl who could take a broken down Timelord and make him better." Jack replied.

"When The Doctor survived the Timewar, he was not the best company. He had lost everything. His home, his planet, and his will to live." He continued. "She showed him how to live again. They loved each other from almost the first moment they met. She was the only one he asked twice. When I met them, their love for each other was obvious to anyone but themselves and it took this separation for them to admit it to themselves. But he ran out of time."

"That's enough Jack" The Doctor said as he entered the kitchen. His face didn't show the last break in his emotions, just a neutral mask that everyone, even Gwen saw through.

"Rose was my life, I lost her, and now i'm gonna get her back." With that statement, The Doctor had ended that conversation. They continued with chat about what Jack was up to, which he loved to spice up, having everyone in stitches. They managed to leave the melancholy behind and relax as the TARDIS did her job.

* * *

The TARDIS sent out a telepathic message to The Doctor telling him she had found Rose. He left for the console room as the others cleared up the mess in the kitchen.

As they joined him in the console room, he told them that they were just about to land.

The landing was very smooth, as the strength from the Timelords that was keeping the dimensions open, kept the TARDIS with full power, which she didn't have last time.

His hands stilled on the console as he took several deep breaths to steady his nerves. Why was he having nerves? He was about to see the love of his life and he was nervous. It was laughable.

Ignoring his travelling companions, he walked to the door to the outside. More deep breaths were needed for him to open the door but as he did, he stepped out onto a grass patch overlooked by a church with a sense of deja vous. This was the spot where he landed with Rose and Mickey. He turned to his right and walked towards a billboard near the wall that lined the Thames.

"Trust me on this" Started to repeat, coming from it. A smile slowly got bigger across his face as he began to believe.

"YES" he shouted, jumping up and down. "She did it! My beautiful ship did it!"

* * *

A/N: Rose in next chapter. 


	5. Chapter Four

A/N: Here's a longer chapter for you and the reunion you have been waiting for happens.

Part One of the reunion, Part Two tomorrow.

* * *

"YES" he shouted, jumping up and down. "She did it! My beautiful ship did it!"

As he realised that he could see Rose again, he was hit by nerves again. Would she want to come with him again? Did she still love him? Was she destined to do great things here? To settle those nerves he went back to the TARDIS leaving the others outside.

Going over to the console, he interfaced with its memory backs of all that will ever be and looked into her future.

* * *

The Doctor leads the group up the driveway of the house belonging to Mr Peter Tyler and his family. He stared at the door, his hands shaking by his sides. 'Rose is behind those doors' He thought. With a last burst of courage, he knocked on the door.

He expected a doorman to open the door, like there was at the party, but was surprised when the door was opened by Pete.

"Doctor?" Pete said with a hint of surprise in his voice. "We thought that you couldn't get back."

"Well I had some help." He answered indicating to his friends.

"Rose will be pleased to see you" Pete told the doctor as he led them down the hallway.

"You lot just wait here a moment..."

"We understand Doc." Jack told him as he quietened down.

* * *

Pete entered the living room, "Rose you have a visitor" He said standing aside to allow The Doctor in. Rose turned to look at the new arrival.

She sees The Doctor standing in the doorway. It took her a second to realise that she wasn't dreaming. When she came to her senses, she ran into his open arms and kissed him passionately.

"A-hem" Jackie broke the pair up. She looked sadly at The Doctor. "You're gonna take her away from me again."

The Doctor looked at Jackie, and then back to the girl still in his arms.

"I'm sorry Rose, I shouldn't ask you this, but my companions are in the hallway. Can you get them some tea. It's been a long journey."

Her face drops and she steps back out of The Doctors arms. She grudgingly left the room. As the door closed, all you hear is her shout "JACK"

* * *

"Jackie. It's not a case of me taking her away again." He stopped to compose himself. "Before I came to the house, I had to be sure that me coming here was the right thing to do. I looked into her timeline. The timeline she was destined to have if I didn't turn up."

He stepped away from Jackie and Pete and went to the window. "There's going to be an invasion, the Slitheen are going to send a spaceship into Big Ben." He could see Jackie's eye's light up in recognition. "Jackie you met the Slitheen when I brought Rose home a year late." He turned away again. "Rose doesn't survive the invasion. Her name is on the list of the dead."

"But that's impossible" Pete said. "She can't die"

"It's going to happen Pete." The Doctor said.

"You don't understand Doctor. Rose can not die. As in physically."

_Flashback_

Rose was working at Torchwood Cardiff. She'd had enough of London, and found the opening of a transfer to Cardiff a welcomed distraction. She was waiting for Pete. Her dad was travelling up from London, to see if she was settling in ok. She believed that her mum had steamrollered him into checking up on her.

As Pete Tyler, Managing Director of Torchwood London, walking into the hub, the rest of the team stopped their slacking and started to look like they were busy. He smiled at them, "Not an official visit" He said and he saw them all visibly relax.

He went up to Rose's desk and sat on the edge.

"Mum put you up to this didn't she" This was a statement, he realised.

"Yep, but don't tell her. You know how protective she is."

"Yes well, you came at the wrong time. I'm just about to go on a job. Something about this sighting is very familiar."

"Do you think that it's The Doctor?"

"No. Not this time anyway. I think I have come across them before. A long time ago. If it is them, well they need to be dealt with."

"I'll come along. I'm not allowed on fieldwork, but i'm in charge, so where are we going."

"A local museum."

Rose packed all the standard equipment for fieldwork and a few extras she would need if they were who she thought they were.

They entered an enclosed courtyard and looked across to see a building with large arched windows either side of a black solid wood door. She had been here before and it was a long time ago. Relatively and figuratively.

With every step she took, she whispered a different memory.

"Better with Two." "My angels." "He'd changed his jumper." "Freshly fallen snow." "Considering you're human." "I'm so glad I met you." "I love a happy medium."

The last step gave away what they were up against, "Pity the Gelth."

She looked at Pete, who heard every word. "Memories. Just memories." She said to his unasked question.

She knocked on the door and an old gentleman answered the door. He was dressed in similar clothes to what Mr Sneed had worn in 1869.

They stood in the hallway. It was draped with black curtains at every door. The place was full of the original features that were there the last time she was here.

"I'm Mr. Sneed. The curator."

"I'm Rose Tyler of Torchwood Cardiff. This is my father Pete Tyler of Torchwood London." She said with the authority that came with the job. "We believe that you have been having some recurring problems."

"Of course. This house was an undertakers in the eighteen hundreds. My great, great uncle was the undertaker, and there are records of ghosts living in the gas. Well as this place was being restored I had the gas turned back on so that people would be able to see it how it was back then. And now this happens when I turn on the gas." He switched on the gas and the lamps started to flicker.

"Right Mr Sneed, I need you and your staff to collect any belongings you may have on the premises as when i'm finished this place will be uninhabitable." Rose said, and his staff started to collect their stuff and leave the building.

"What are you going to do?"

"Mr Sneed. Do you know why your great, great uncle left this building?"

"There was a fire, he died in the basement along with this young maid Gwyneth."

"That is only half the truth. It was an explosion and not just a fire. In the pipes lives an alien race that are gaseous. They are called the Gelth. The explosion was supposed to send them back to where they came from but some seemed to have survived. So please collect what you want to save. Once I have done my job, this place needs to be demolished. And if you are going to rebuild here. Forget about gas, and then I won't need to do this again."

As he walked away, Pete went over to his daughter. "You were here, weren't you?"

"Yes I was. Christmas Eve, 1869. I was kidnapped by that uncle of his and left in a room full of dead bodies that the Gelth inhabited and they tried to kill me. Look dad. I need to go to the basement, please go outside, mum won't forgive me if anything happened to you."

He reluctantly left his daughter and went outside with the Mr Sneed and his staff.

As Rose made her way to the basement, she placed a gas mask over her face and turned on all the gas lamps. Down in the basement, she pulled on the pipe that The Doctor had pulled on last time, flooding the basement with gas. She pulled out a flash grenade from her bag. These had a two minute timer on them. She pulled the firing pin, it dropped to the floor and she ran for the stairs.

Unknown to her, the timer was faulty. Just as she got to the last corridor, with the door to the outside in sight, the grenade ignited the gas causing an explosion that ripped through the house. Rose was knocked to the ground as the force hit her, and as the ceiling gave way.

As the front door got blown off, Pete looked at the devastation knowing that Rose was caught up in it. The flames started to die down as the gas was turned off. He knew he had to get to her. With the sounds of fire engines coming from behind him, he ran into the house. He found Rose underneath a piece of plaster looking almost dead. He ran outside with her, telling the fire officers to back off.

He felt for a pause but couldn't find one. He pulled her into his arms as tears rolled down his cheek.

"What am I gonna tell your mother?" He whispered.

"About what?" She croaked.

He looked down at her and watched the cuts and bruises on the face and arms disappear before his eyes. He lifted Rose up in his arms and took her past the crowd, out of the courtyard and to the parked SUV.

"Rose, what happened there? You were dead and then your cuts and bruises vanished."

"I can't die dad. An adventure with The Doctor went wrong and this was the consequence. That and The Doctor's regeneration."

"Does Jackie know?"

"No and I don't want her to either."

"Ok sweetheart, but only until she really has to know"

"Thanks dad, that's all I can ask."

_End Flashback_

"I'm sorry Jacks, she didn't want you to know"

"If that's the truth" The Doctor said out loud to himself. "Then maybe i'm here to take her away." He paused and looked over to Jackie. "If she is listed on the list of the dead then she is supposed to leave tomorrow. I sorry Jackie but history says that she doesn't exist after tomorrow, i'm taking her with me."


	6. Chapter Five

A/N: Sorry for the wait. I wanted to post this last night but my daughter has been ill.  
Wasn't DW great last night? I wasn't sure about Martha but really enjoyed last night's episode, what my daughter let me watch. Which thankfully was most of it.

* * *

Well here the reunion continues...

As Rose left the room, she noticed someone familiar. "JACK" was all that was heard by the occupants of the room as the door closed behind her.

Jack spun the blond haired Londoner as she clung to him. He put her down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips, to Gwen's annoyance.

"The Doctor said to take you to the kitchen." She said as she led them down to the kitchen. It wasn't the kitchen that she had worked in when she was here before she got stranded. This was a small one they used when the cook wasn't here or when they wanted to cook for themselves. "I'm glad to see ya Jack." She said as they took their seats as Rose made them drinks. "But I thought you were dead."

"I was Rose, but that's another story. One I need to talk to The Doctor about."

"Ok. So who are your friends?"

"Gwen and Martha. Gwen is my...Girlfriend, and Martha travels with The Doctor"

"Oh." Rose replied to the admission of Jack that The Doctor wasn't alone anymore.

"I've been travelling with him a while now. It was only supposed to be a single trip, but you probably know how it goes." Martha told Rose.

"I have an idea." Rose whispered.

"It's been difficult." Martha continued. "Everything we do, wherever we are, everything comes down to you." She looked at Rose, who slowly lifted her gaze from her cup to Martha.

"I'm glad he's back, but it probably means i'll never see mum or dad again. And then there's Little Jack. He's only 3."

"Little Jack?" Jack asked.

Rose smiled at him. "My little brother. I have been stranded here nearly 4 years."

"I'm sorry Rose" The Doctor said from the doorway. "It's not quite the five and a half hours."

"Don't be sorry. You're here now and that's what matters." She walked over to him and let him embrace her. "I had 3 years with a dad and a little brother, but i'm ready to give it up for you. I'd give everything up for you"

"I know Rose." He bent down to kiss her, letting all his love for her show in the kiss. This time there was nobody to interrupt them as Jack, Gwen and Martha left the room.

* * *

They entered the room The Doctor had been in earlier and sat down. Pete and Jackie watching them as they did so. Jack was just about to ask Jackie if they could put them up for the night, when Mickey came in.

"Hey Jacks, Rose about?"

"She's a bit busy" Jack said from the sofa.

"Oh it's you." Mickey acknowledged him.

"What's that all about?" Gwen asked Jack.

"Well i've only met Rickey here..."

"It's Mickey" Mickey put in across him.

"As I was saying. I've only met him once. He came to the TARDIS to bring Rose her passport. We were parked outside the water tower and caused the invisible lift that we often use to appear. Gwen do you remember a few years ago, when the mayor wanted to build a power station where Cardiff Castle is."

"Yeh, I help with the investigation into the people involved were being mysteriously dying."

"Well, they were all murdered by the mayor. She was an alien that wanted to blowup Earth, to get a lift back home." He looked back at Mickey. "It's nice seeing you again Mickey." He said to Mickey offering his hand.

Mickey took Jack's hand and shook it firmly. "I take it Rose is with Him."

"They're... Urm... Catching up." He said with a knowing smile.

* * *

Rose and The Doctor had finally finished their game of tonsil hockey and now sat next to each other at the table, holding hands.

"Rose, Pete told me about your second meeting with the Gelth." He started.

"Oh, so you know about the side effects from the Gamestation?"

"Do you remember what happened there?"

"I did as soon as the breach closed after you said goodbye. I believe that the TARDIS was protecting me, and when my contact with her was permanently broken her protection from that day was gone. I knew that Jack was still alive, but couldn't tell you to go find him. How long has he been with you?"

"Not long. The TARDIS picked him and Gwen up after an incident with the rift." He replied smiling at the memory of their reunion and using Jack's words back at them. "Jack and Gwen were rather busy at that moment and didn't realise they had been brought aboard."

"Like when Jack brought us aboard his Chula Warship, when I was trying to get you to dance with me?"

"Exactly. I even told him they were sweet, like he did to us. The moment was priceless."

Looking nervously at The Doctor she asked a question that had been going through her mind since he had arrived. "Have you come to take me home or to say goodbye properly..."

"Why would you think that?"

"Well you have Martha now. You might not want or need me anymore."

He paused for a moment. He couldn't believe that Rose thought he would come all this way to just say goodbye. He pulled Rose onto his lap, "I've come to take you home. I've missed you and the TARDIS hasn't been the same since. Martha is just a friend that helped me through the loneliness. But she isn't you." To seal this statement he kissed her again.

This time they were interrupted again.

"Can't you put her down?" Jackie mumbled as she entered the kitchen.

The Doctor and Rose stopped their kiss and looked at Jackie, contented smiles on their faces.

"Well at least there is a smile on your face Rose. I've waited a long time to see that. And then your gonna leave." A single tear rolled down Jackie's cheek. "When are you leaving?"

Rose looked at The Doctor, "Tomorrow" He said. "Rose there is an invasion tomorrow. The TARDIS says that you are on the list of the dead, and seeing as you can't die, we will need to leave just after to let history complete it's cycle."

"So i'm supposed to leave tomorrow? Is that why you came today, instead of 4 years ago?" She asked him as she got off his knee and made to leave the room.

"No. I came today because this is the day we landed and it is consequential that you are supposed to not exist on this world as of tomorrow." He could feel the hurt coming out in his voice, He wanted Rose to believe him.

Rose left the room with The Doctor and Jackie following her.

* * *

The occupants of the living room turned toward the door as it opened.

"So Doctor, how did you get here?" Mickey asked The Doctor as he sat down with Rose.

"We... Urm... Stole a TARDIS." The people in the room laughed.

"You stole a TARDIS? Who from?" Rose asked as the laughter calmed down.

"Well. It is still my TARDIS, just my Eighth incarnations TARDIS. Jack told me that all I needed was a TARDIS from before the war. Because before the war, dimension travel was easy."

"But how did you get her to trust you?"

"Well I showed her what happened to you." He turned his head from the group and looked Rose straight in the eyes. "When you scattered the words 'Bad Wolf' through time and space, doing so you bonded with the TARDIS all the way back to her creation. So she knew who you were. She found you and brought us to this date. It is really her fault that I am 4 years too late." He buried his head in her neck as she pulled him into a hug.

"Mrs Tyler?" Jack asked Jackie politely, taking the emphasis away from The Doctor and Rose "Can you put us up tonight? The TARDIS is all the the way back in the centre of London."

"Sure, and it's Jackie. You staying too Mick?"

"Yeh." He replied still looking at the love of his life in the arms of another. It didn't matter that he had a life of his own now. Rose was still important to him.

* * *

"So Rose," Jackie asked, "How do you know this Captain?"

"Well." She said knowing that Gwen would be listening intently, she didn't miss the look on Gwen's face when Jack had kissed her. "Me and The Doctor, before he regenerated, met Jack in 1941. He tried to con us and nearly turned humans into gas mask zombies but we managed to fix it and he came with us. That's when Mickey met him." She looked at Jack and knew he would appreciate the next bit "He became my brother in everyway other than blood."

There was a look of relief on Gwen's face when she realised that the love she saw between Jack and Rose during their reunion was the love of siblings. Rose smiled at her acceptance. Gwen was now a part of the TARDIS family as long as she wanted to. Their was also a place for Martha.

Looking around at her two families. She knew that tomorrow she would have to say goodbye to one of them. Putting that to the back of her mind, she indulged herself in the idle chitchat that was going on in the room. She was going to enjoy tonight.


	7. Chapter Six

A/N: Today's Rose's last day on this earth. Will Jackie come to terms with Rose's departure.

Continues on Wednesday.

* * *

There was a knock on the door.

Nobody ever knocked on his door.

Nobody even knew where his room was.

As he woke he found that he was not alone. He opened his eyes to find his Rose asleep in his arms. He looked around Rose's room in Pete's big house, a smile coming to his face as he remembered their reunion.

His smile suddenly dropped when he saw a slightly angry Jackie in the doorway.

"Breakfast is ready" Jackie said before making a fast exit.

The Doctor returned his gaze to his sleeping Rose to find her awake. As their eyes met, they both smiled and held each other tightly. They hadn't done anything last night, just held each other through the night. Keeping the nightmares that had plagued them since their parting at bay.

"It's not a dream." Rose said.

"Nope. And to prove it...Rose Tyler I love You." She closed the small gap between them and kissed him. As they deepened the kiss, another knock came to the door.

"What!" A flustered Rose shouted at the door.

Jack blundered in and jumped on the bed like a five year waking up his parents on Christmas Day. Gwen was laughing at the door. Jack was not surprised to find The Doctor and Rose in bed together, but was surprised to find them still dressed. Rose had her pink vest and white shorts on and The Doctor was still wearing his trousers.

Jack could tell by the looks on their faces that this was a bad moment and hastily retreated muttering something about breakfast, taking Gwen with him.

The Doctor rolled Rose back onto the bed. "Where were we?" Was all he said before his captured Rose in another Kiss.

* * *

Jack woke up full of energy. He felt like a child on Christmas Day, he was so happy. He looked down at Gwen. He so rarely slept that it was a surprise to him how much he slept last night. Gwen put him so at ease that it was so easy to fall asleep with her near.

He carefully got off the bed so not to wake Gwen and entered the en suite bathroom. He had a shower and got dressed.

When he returned to the bedroom, he found Gwen awake, seemingly wondering where he was.

"I was in the bathroom." He said smiling at Gwen, putting her at ease.

There was a knock at the door. "Breakfast is ready." Jackie shouted through the door.

"Well i'll get dressed and see ya downstairs" Gwen said to Jack.

He smiled at her gave and her a quick kiss "Don't be long" He whispered in her ear as he pulled away and left the room.

She quickly got dressed. She only knew Jack here and for that and other obvious reasons she didn't want to be far from him.

As she left the room and walked down past the next room, she peered through the open door. She laughed as she saw Jack jumping on the bottom of a bed, with a flustered and annoyed Rose and Doctor.

It wasn't long before Jack was muttering and leaving the room. She closed the door behind him and followed him down the stairs to the kitchen.

* * *

'What am I gonna do?' Martha thought to herself as she laid in bed. Jackie had told her that breakfast was ready, but she wasn't ready to face the group. She knew Jack had said that nothing would change, but he had Gwen. She only had The Doctor on this trip and he had Rose. 'Maybe that Mickey bloke will keep me company'.

Mickey had seemed to be as put out as she was. It was obvious to her that Mickey had feelings for Rose, and that now The Doctor was back that he didn't stand a chance. It was how she felt after all. She had feelings for The Doctor, who wouldn't! He was attractive, good company and had this boyish charm that was irresistible. But he also had this huge amount of sadness hidden behind his eyes that if you were with him long enough you could see it, especially when Rose was mentioned. That sadness had lifted when Jack had solved his problem. It was still there but when you see him looking at Rose, she banishes it away. When they are together, you see the real him.

Deciding that she should show her face at breakfast, she got out of bed and changed. She needed to get out of the borrowed bed clothes, Jackie had got her from Rose's wardrobe. She wasn't Rose, The Doctor had told her that many times. She was Martha, soon to be on the end of a long list of ex companions.

* * *

Jackie was in the kitchen. She couldn't sleep. Her only daughter was upstairs, but by tonight she'd be dead to this world. How do you cope with the fact that you will have to say goodbye forever, but not have the comfort of death.

When someone dies, you know they are safe in the arms of whatever God you believe in. You can take comfort in a grave that you can visit, It is the not knowing if they are safe or happy is what hurts.

Tonight Rose will leave this world and her mum and dad won't have the comfort of the grave. They know she will be happy, but they won't know if she is safe. They know how dangerous The Doctor's life is and will never know where she is. But Jackie is well aware how that feels, always waiting for The Doctor to bring Rose home, but he'll never be able to bring her home again.

Pete wrapped his arms around Jackie as she cried. The realisation of today's outcome upset the both of them. During his first encounter with the Cybermen, he lost a wife. Three months later after another encounter with the Cybermen he gained a family. His family was finally complete with the birth of Little Jack, now he was about to lose his daughter. He loved her, and his life felt complete with her around and now she was leaving. He had an idea what Jackie was going through but knew that there was nothing they could do, so he comforts his wife, the only thing he knows how to do.

After the melancholy had passed, he started breakfast for the hoard of people. Jackie helped until it was time to serve out and went to get their guests out of bed before it got cold.

* * *

Mickey knew he wouldn't sleep. He was going to lose Rose again, and this time it was forever. When he decided to stay in the parallel universe he saw it then. Rose and The Doctor needed each other. It would always be just the two of them.

But he had got used to Rose being around again. He had thought that after four years, Rose may had thought about giving them another go, but knew that wouldn't happen now He was back. Mickey was no competition for The Doctor. The Doctor always won. Right from Day One.

Mickey got dressed and put on a brave face. He would say goodbye to Rose and get on with his life.

* * *

Jack and Gwen were first into the kitchen. When The Doctor and Rose came in they were fighting over the toast. When Gwen realised that they were being watched she let Jack win while turning away to hide her embarrassment.

The Doctor sat down next to Jack and was about to have a go at him about disturbing his antics with Rose until Rose plonked herself down on his knee and distracted him by kissing him.

"Not at the table Rose!" Jackie scolded her with a smile on her face. She loved to see the smile back on Rose's face. "That goes the same for you" She hit Jack on the back of the head with a teatowel as he tried to push his luck by trying it on with Gwen.

"Be glad it was the tea towel and not her hand." The Doctor whispered to Jack. They tried and failed to laugh quietly.

"What was that?" Jackie asked.

"Nothing Jackie" The men chorused. She smiled at the two most important men in her daughter's life, apart from Pete. The man that will love her for eternity and the big brother she always wanted.

Martha joined them not long after and was surprised when she was suddenly engaged in an avid discussion with Rose about The Doctor. Rose wanted to know all about their adventures and if The Doctor had been looking after her, himself and the TARDIS. She was beginning to feel that Jack was right. Everything was going to be ok.

When Mickey entered the room, Pete got him helping with more breakfast. They were a hungry lot, their guests, no wonder The Doctor always looked like he never ate.

When he finally got to sit down, Jack and Gwen had left for a stroll around the gardens and The Doctor and Rose had left to collect the TARDIS. Martha had decided to stay. Even though she felt accepted by Rose, she wasn't ready to spend time with them while they were acting like a pair of love struck teenagers. Pete and Jackie sat down at the table with Mickey and Martha and had their breakfast. Martha made tea while they finished off.

Jackie wanted to know about her relationship with The Doctor.

"I knew about Rose from the first time I stepped on board the TARDIS" She started. "He wanted to make sure I knew that I was not a replacement. Nobody could replace His Rose. At first I was jealous, we'd be on an adventure and he would say 'Rose would know what to say' or he would call for Rose to make him a cup of tea, until I would bring him one and he would apologise and walk into the depths of the TARDIS." She paused to finish her tea. "I found him once. I heard him crying behind a door when I was wondering. It was Rose's room he was in. He was curled up in a ball on her bed, he doesn't know I saw him. I also found that he never slept, but when he did, he would go to her room. Whenever I needed him, there was only three places he would be. The console room, the kitchen or Rose's room."

Jackie looked at the girl in front of her. She had been there for The Doctor when he needed someone. And he did need someone, he needed Rose and now he had her.

Today was going to be a long day.


	8. Chapter Seven

A/N: Next chapters up, They're going home soon. Sorry it's late but I had alot of problems uploading. Thanks to 'The Girl in the Wrong World' for her help.

Please read the authors note at the bottom as you have some decisions to make.

* * *

It was a long walk to the TARDIS. They didn't talk, they just walked in companionable silence. Even though they had been apart a long time and had dreamt about this moment at much the horror of their parting, there was nothing to be said. Holding hands was the only communication.

When the TARDIS came into sight, Rose stopped. The Doctor looked at her.

"You Ok?"

"Yea, just thought i'd never see she again." She said with a smile, let go of his hand ran to the TARDIS. She touched the outside softly, almost a lover's caress. The Doctor could feel the happy vibes coming from the TARDIS, she was happy their Rose was home.

Rose opened the door and was shocked as she walked to the console.

"Sarah Jane wasn't wrong about you redecorating."

"She looked different to this when Sarah Jane travelled with me" He said joining Rose at the console. He put the TARDIS into the vortex and imputed the coordinates for Pete's garage. "It won't take long for us to get back. Would you like to spend some time here first?"

"Sure" She took is hand and they made their way to the kitchen.

As they sat down at the table with their cups of tea, Rose broke the silence. "Martha seems nice."

"She is. But she wasn't you" He said reaching for her hands which she let him hold gently. "She helped fill the gap that you left but I was always expecting you to come through the door when I heard footsteps." He looked at their joined hands. "It must had been hard for her, living in your shadow."

"No I don't think she stayed there for long." He looked at her. "You move on, Doctor. It's how you cope. You need companions to fill up the silence. I think after all this time she would have found her own place in your hearts."

"She did, but it is you that those hearts belong to. Would you be able to accept her in our lives?"

"I don't want her to leave. I have a lot to thank her for. She kept you safe."

They finished up and cleaned after them. The cleaning took longer than it should, because the soapsuds ended up all over the kitchen from where they had got into a playful fight which ended up with them kissing.

* * *

The TARDIS eventually materialised in Pete's garage, out of sight.

Jackie heard the engines and met them as they came out. They looked like the soapsud fight never happened. They just looked blissfully happy. But the realisation of the day's events was starting to catch up with them. Rose left The Doctor and Jackie to pack what she wanted to take with her.

She met Martha on her way to the stairs.

* * *

Martha sat on Rose's bed as she watched the girl pack.

"He's missed you." Martha said. She had got used to the silence with The Doctor, but hoped that Rose would engage in conversation.

"I missed him too." She replied, sitting next to Martha on the bed. "Four years is a long time."

"I've never seen him this happy. He was happy when he picked Jack up, but still had that sadness behind his eyes, but that has gone since he found you. You seem to banish it all."

"We were together along time. When I met him he had so much sadness, he had been the only survivor of a horrific war. He had just regenerated, do you know about regeneration?" As Martha nodded she continued. "He spent most of the invasion swanning off. But I saved him and he invited me to come with him." She stood to carry on packing. "It took a long time for him to accept his position in the universe, and it wasn't until he regenerated into his current form, that the sadness seeped to the back of his existence. He was happier after the regeneration. The sadness was still there but it didn't rule him anymore. It is sad to think that the pain came back after I left."

She walked over to the dresser to get the photos that littered the mirror.

"This is what he looked like before." She handed a tattered old photo of her, The Doctor and Jack that she had carried in her purse since it was taken.

Martha looked at the tall man, dressed all in black. "That's The Doctor?"

"Yeh. He had just regenerated into that body. I found out later that was number nine. When we get back to our universe, i'll show you the store room where he keeps stuff from his younger incarnations. You won't believe some of the stuff he used to wear. There are pictures in there as well." Rose was hoping that Martha would pick out the underlying message in her words, but to make sure she continued. "You are staying with us, aren't you?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Course I do. He does too. You have been there for him when I couldn't. I really can't thank you enough."

They sat there in companionable silence for a moment until Rose stood up again to finish packing. She put the photo that Martha had passed her back into her back pocket. She'd show Jack that later. It would be good to catch up on old times, maybe even The Doctor would join in as well.

* * *

Once Rose's possessions had been loaded into the TARDIS, they made their way, in Pete's car to Torchwood.

They knew an invasion was coming, but they couldn't stop it and when the spaceship hit Big Ben they joined UNIT in Downing Street to deal with the Slitheen.

This time UNIT soldiers were not murdered, but in the fight to apprehend the aliens both Torchwood and UNIT suffered casualties. One of those included Rose. To everyone involved she was dead. She had been grabbed by Blon Fel Fotch, the Margaret of their world. She had been strangled. The Doctor caught her as she was dropped and ran from the room with her. He knew that she would be ok but didn't know how long it would take to wake.

As Torchwood took the Slitheen to their cells and the emergency services dealt with the casualties, The Doctor refused all help with Rose, except to allow a medical doctor to sign a death certificate. That was a tough moment for him. He really thought that Rose could be wrong, that she really could be dead.

He carried her away from the scene and took her to Pete's car. Using his sonic screwdriver he started the car and drove away.

As he approached the house, he heard Rose take a deep breath. He put his foot down and sped up the drive. He jumped out of the drivers seat, and when to check on Rose who was on the back seat.

He held her tightly once she had woken up.

"How you feeling?" The Doctor asked her.

"I've been better, but it's nicer waking up to you." Smiling she put her hand into the hair on the back of his neck and pulled his head towards her. They were kissing passionately on the back seat of Pete's car by the time the others had arrived in Mickey and Jake's van.

Jack went upto the car and looked through the window where he saw a couple making out. Banging on the window he said "Enjoying yourselves?"

They pulled back from each other so fast that The Doctor banged his head on the roof. Rubbing his head he scowled at Jack and made to get out the car. Once he had extricated himself from Rose's legs that had become tangled with his in the heat of passion, he ran and tackled Jack to the ground.

"You will find yourself chucked out of an airlock into the vortex if you do that again." The Doctor hissed into Jack's ear. He let him up so that Jack could go and apologise to Rose, which he did and then kissed her, which made The Doctor scowl and then laugh.

They all knew that it wouldn't be long before they would have to leave, and some other members had some decisions to make.

* * *

A/N: Well i've had reviews regarding Mickey and Martha and thought that I would give my reviewers the change to help me decide what to do with them. So I won't update until the end of the weekend, so you have until Sunday morning to decide what you want to happen, so post your ideas.

The possibilities:

Martha stays with Mickey on the parallel Earth

Mickey travels in the TARDIS back to their Earth

Mickey stays on the parallel Earth alone.

All comments welcome, so review to have your say.


	9. Chapter Eight

A/N: They leave in this chapter, but will be going? Does Martha stay or does she go? Read on to find out...

* * *

Rose got out of the car to accept Jack's apology and was not surprised when he kissed her. Thankfully The Doctor laughed. She took The Doctor's hand as they walked towards the house. They all knew what was going to happen. Rose had to go to the TARDIS before history changed to include Rose again, or the Reapers would come.

"You're gonna leave me now, aren't ya?!" Jackie said as soon as they were all in the console room.

Rose looked at The Doctor, for support and to tell Jackie as she was frightened to answer. If she said yes it would be finalising her life with her mum.

"There is a way we could stay for a while." The Doctor said and Jackie looked hopeful, as did Rose if it meant she could stay with her family a little while longer. "As long as Rose stays in the TARDIS, the Reapers will not know there is a paradox. Because this TARDIS is under the protection of the Timelords she will be safe. But we can't stay forever, I need to get this TARDIS back to my eighth incarnation and reset history."

"Thank you Doctor." Jackie said which seemed to mean more than what she was saying thanks for.

"We'll stay for a week. That'll give you plenty of time to say your goodbyes" He took Jackie to the side away from the rest of the group. "I promise you Jackie, that i'll look after her. I couldn't make that promise before but I can now, for you." Jackie looked up with tears in her eyes "And i'll try and find a way that you two can communicate. It may take a while or it could never happen, but I will try to find a way."

"Thanks" was all Jackie could say as the group watched them embrace each other confirming his promise to her and her acceptance of what will happen. Rose was happy to see that her mum had finally accepted The Doctor place in her life.

* * *

Gwen and Jack spent a lot of time together. Their relationship was very new when they came on board. So they spent the time to get to know each other away from work. They knew they had to go back one day, but they had a time machine and knew they could go back whenever they wanted to. But they didn't think about going home. They just enjoyed each other. The TARDIS had recognised her connection with Jack and had provided him with his room from her older self. Gwen loved to hear his stories from his past, and looking at the items littered about his room.

He found pictures of him with Rose and another man which she found out was The Doctor. Jack explained about regeneration and the hand that he favoured above Carys' life.

They talked about many things She admitted to being jealous when Jack and Rose kissed, and how relieved she was to find out they were more like brother and sister. She even spoke about missing her mum, but Jack promised that they would visit her as soon as they got back to Cardiff. Jack loved the level their relationship had reached and hoped it would continue to get better.

* * *

Martha felt like the spare wheel. The Doctor had Rose, Jack had Gwen, Pete had Jackie. She had no-one.

That was until Mickey came and joined her sitting on the wall looking towards the house.

"It hurts doesn't it." Mickey said to Martha, sitting on the wall next to her looking at his hands that were clasped on his knee.

"What does?" Martha asked in return. She knew what he was talking about but wasn't ready to voice it out loud.

"Watching someone you care about with someone else." He looked at her as she looked at him. As their gazes locked, they recognised the same look in each others eyes. A look that was to get them together.

They started to spend a lot of time together. The Doctor had commented a few time on her spending time with 'Mickey the Idiot' and asked if there was anything going on that he should know about. She would just reply that if there was anything worth telling she would let him know,but secretly decided that he didn't need to know and wouldn't let him in on the details. She knew he could be completely oblivious to what was happening around him, and he was, but she hadn't counted on Rose seeing through their sideways glances and them sneaking away after meals.

Martha was unsure of how to brace the subject with Rose. She knew that Rose was close to Mickey but knew they would have to talk. In the end it was Rose who started the conversation, she gave Martha her consent. Rose felt obliged to since his Grandmother died last year, she felt responsible for him. Rose was happy that Mickey had found someone but was concerned that it would be shortlived with them leaving soon.

* * *

Most of the week went quite fast. Rose spent the days with Jackie, Pete and Little Jack and the nights with The Doctor. The first few nights were hard and they were getting harder. She knew they would have to leave soon, but she didn't want to leave her family.

Jackie and Pete had decided to stay. Little Jack had been born there and they were all settled. The money that Pete had in this universe was a big factor and Jackie didn't want to live the way they had done before.

Rose knew she had to go, The Doctor always upheaved her life but she was glad that she would always be with him. She had worried about if The Doctor had not come back for her, that she would have to watch her family die and keep moving so that people wouldn't notice that she didn't age. At least this way she was saying goodbye to her family and not watching them die.

She loved The Doctor so much that she was willing to leave her family. She didn't care that history had wiped her out, she would had found a way.

* * *

As the day to leave got closer, everyone was thinking about their options.

Jack and Gwen thought about what would happen when they got back. She had Owen and Rhys to deal with, and he had Ianto. It wouldn't be easy for either of them but they wanted to be with each other. Ianto would understand. Owen maydo as well, it would be Rhys that would cause the most trouble. Gwen and Rhys had been going out a long time, but he'd probably seen this coming.

Jackie and Pete were preparing to lose their daughter, and The Doctor was preparing to take their daughter away from them. He was going to have to comfort Rose while she grieved for her family.

Mickey was getting ready to say goodbye to his best friend. She was there when he lost his grandmother the first time and helped him through it again. He was going to miss her. His relationship with Martha was still new. He knew nothing could come out of it, unless he came with them...

Martha was thinking about Mickey. She wanted to stay with him, but the thought of never seeing them again was hard on her. Could she sacrifice her whole family for Mickey, like Rose was for The Doctor?...

* * *

Mickey and Martha spent their last morning talking. They discussed the possibilities of their future.

The TARDIS gave them an answer.

* * *

Everyone had congregated in the console room.

Jackie and Pete were saying their goodbyes, Rose was crying while The Doctor was trying not to. He hugged Jackie and shuck Pete's hand. He was going to miss them. They had all grown close over the past week. He felt like he had a family again.

Martha went over to The Doctor holding Mickey's hand. Rose had an idea what was happening and held The Doctor's hand in silent support.

"I'm staying here." She put up her empty hand to silence him. "The TARDIS worked a way out. There is a Martha Jones in this world, but she was lost presumed dead, when the hospital she was working in got transported to the moon. The records show that she eventually turned up, tomorrow. I think that I was meant to stay like Rose was meant to go."

The Doctor took Martha over to one side. "You're sure about this. Once we leave there is no way back"

"I know" She pulled him into a hug which he returned "I'll never forget you" She whispered before stepping away from him and went back to Mickey who was talking to Rose.

"I'm really happy for you Mick."

"Well it was always you and him. You were never really happy here, but I am." He paused while he put his arm around Martha "I'll be happy here"

* * *

Jackie, Pete and Little Jack, and Mickey and Martha, watched as the TARDIS disappeared into the the vortex ready to enter the void. Lots of tears were spent by all, as Rose left home for the last time. 


	10. Chapter Nine

A/N: Just a short chapter today, but there will be a longer one tomorrow. Only 2 or maybe 3 more chapters to go and then the epilogue so go on and enjoy this one.

* * *

As The Doctor took them through the void, she noticed how smooth the journey was compared to last time. Everyone was quiet. All were deep in thought. Rose the most. She had just left home for good. She would never see her family again. A lonely tear fell down her face as she realised what she had done. She was not regretful, just a little scared of what the future would hold for her in the long term.

When The Doctor noticed she was silently upset, he approached her enveloped her in his arms. Jack was watching quietly beside Gwen, when he noticed what was happening, he led Gwen out of the console room. He didn't want to risk The Doctor proving true on his threat of airlocks and the time vortex.

The Doctor saw him go and was pleased to have Rose alone. He led her to the fireplace and they sat down without breaking contact.

Neither of them said anything they were unsure of how the other would react. So instead they just held each other. After a while, when Rose's tears had stopped, she leant back in his embrace to look at his face. It was mixture of love, happiness, and sadness. She leant up to wipe a tear that was threatening to fall away with her thumb. She left her hand there and held his cheek, he leaning into the touch.

As one they moved towards each other and their lips met in the middle. The Doctor slowly eased Rose back onto the floor, deepening the kiss as he did. This time it was not Jack who disturbed them, it was the TARDIS.

She started to shudder and as The Doctor got to his feet, he was knocked to the floor as the TARDIS bucked to one side. Jack and Gwen came running in from the corridor. Jack went to help The Doctor at the console, while Gwen helped Rose from the floor.

The Doctor and Jack got the TARDIS under control again, as she started to materialise. All the scanners were blank as The Doctor tried to get information on where they had landed.

* * *

The Doctor exited the TARDIS first followed by Jack and then the girls.

They looked about in awe. They had never seen a place so beautiful. But The Doctor had different reason for the look on his face. He hadn't been here for so long, even when he could come here he didn't want to. And now he couldn't come here it was the only place he wanted to be.

* * *

"Mia" was all The Doctor said when he realised where he was. He ran towards a house that stood alone under the watchful gaze of a large mountain.

As he ran on ahead his companions ran behind him but unable to keep the pace.

When they caught up to him he was watching a women in the side garden putting washing on the line that was attached between two posts.

He glanced at Rose, before he called to the woman.

"Mia?"

The woman looked towards him as he took a few steps towards her. He put his feet together and bowed his head towards her.

"You called me Mia"

"Yes" He said quietly.

"Then I don't need to read your ID. There is only one person who calls me Mia. It is you isn't it? Theta?"

As the woman came towards him his companions could see the tears rolling down the woman's face. She took the doctor into her arms as he started to cry.

"Now, now Theta, are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

He left her embrace, and stood up to his full height.

"Jack, Gwen, this is Mia" then he walked up to Rose, took her hands in his and led her towards the woman.

"Rose, this is my mother."

* * *

A/N: Right you probably saw that last line coming, but oh well. I wrote this chapter and the ones following, before many of the others so I did write this before Gridlock, so any inaccuracies are accidental.

I called his mother 'Mia' because him calling for his mum would ruin the last line. But he will be calling his dad 'Father'. Also, because of the way my story will fit into his timeline, I put in that he would go to Mia and bow his head giving her permission to read his mind to find out his identity but as you know she knows who he is.


	11. Chapter Ten

Here's your next chapter. Not a lot of content, but I really wanted to put this in and as they were in a TARDIS that was capable to go to Gallifrey it would fit as an interlude. I have the ending sorted now so there is one more chapter and then an epilogue, which you can have posted together if you want. So if you do, Review...

* * *

Rose looked at The Doctor as he went back to his mother. She didn't understand the look in their eyes.

"You can't stay here long Theta. You'll be home soon." Mia told him as he approached her.

"Where am I?"He asked.

"You're at school. You seem to have miscalculated your arrival time."

"Where's Father?" He knew he was asking many questions but he was trying to work out in what time he had arrived. He knew it was before his mother's death, but when before he didn't know.

"He's on Arcadia. He has been for three weeks." She paused when she realised what he was thinking. "You are 24 years old. Your birthday was last week."

"Thanks, I am a bit out of my timeline." He said with a small smile. It was a long time since he was that young.

"How old are you Theta?" She whispers as she draws him close.

"Too old..." He says as he holds her close.

* * *

Rose, Jack and Gwen left The Doctor and Mia and went around the side of the house. There was a bench which sat beside a pond in the back garden. They looked at the mountain that shadowed the midday sun.

"This is gonna hit him hard when we leave here." Rose said, sitting next to Jack on the bench. Gwen sat down on his other side.

"Why? Can't he just come back when we get to his TARDIS?" Gwen asked leaning forward to see Rose around Jack's quiet form.

"This is all gone in our timeline. There was a Timewar, he is the only survivor. I think the TARDIS is trying to help him by bringing him home. Reminding him of the good times." Jack told her.

"But why bring him here?" Rose said, tears starting to form in her eyes. "She dies. Not in the Timewar, but a long time before... He was 27 when he lost his mum. She is at lot older than she looks. And she is human." Jack was surprised with this revelation.

"Then why did he give her permission to read him. As far as i'm aware, humans aren't telepathic." Jack replied.

"But you two can." Gwen piped in.

"We can but only with The Doctor and each other. All three of us were joined by the vortex and have a connection to each other. It's the reason why we can't die." Rose looked at Jack when she said the last bit. She knew he couldn't die from a conversation with The Doctor but Jack didn't know she was inflicted with the same curse.

"You can't die either?" Jack looked at Gwen when she voiced a question that Jack was struggling to ask.

"When I was Bad Wolf, I saved The Doctor, destroyed the Daleks, and brought Jack back to life. But it was killing me, The Doctor took the vortex from me, but Bad Wolf was still there. I was unconscious when he brought me into the TARDIS. He regenerated while Bad Wolf healed my tortured body." She stood up and started to pace. "The Doctor only found out when my dad told him about it. I died on an investigation. I knew these aliens from dealing with them in my universe with his previous self. So I dealt with them but died in the process."

She stopped pacing when she noticed two figures walking towards them.

"I'm sorry Jack. We'll talk more later"

"Don't be sweetheart." He stood up and held Rose tightly before stepping back and letting The Doctor hold her just as tightly. He went to Gwen and pulled her up, "We'll wait in the TARDIS." He said to Rose and The Doctor. Rose caught his eye and mouthed 'Thanks'. "Nice to meet you Mia" He said while offering her his hand.

She looked at his hand and then pulled him into a hug "Look after him" She whispered before pulling away and looking silently into his eyes. Jack gave the briefest of nods in a silent promise to the mother of his best friend. He turned away reaching for Gwen's hand as they left for the TARDIS.

Mia turned and watched as her son clung to his girlfriend. She knew from the look in his eyes that it had been a very long time since he had seen her. She knew that meant that something would happen to her, she knew her lifespan was longer than most humans but nowhere near the lifespan of that of her husband and son.

Mia approached them as they pulled apart. "Look after my Theta, Rose."

"I will, I love him so much."

"That is all a mother wants for their child." She said and they embraced each other. Even with Mia's weak telepathic senses, she could feel the love this young woman had for her son as she embraced her. It was overwhelming. She pulled her son to her, so they were all holding each other, and flooded his senses with what Rose was projecting. It banished all the grief and sadness that he was projecting.

Mia knew that her son would be ok. She pulled away from him, and reached for their hands. With Mia in the middle, they walked to the TARDIS. The Doctor knew she was 'taking him home' so took in a last look at his dead world. The silver leaves falling from the trees, the orange sky, his mother holding his hand...

Outside the TARDIS, she dropped their hands. She hugged Rose tightly and then her son. "You must go now, Theta." Rose left them to their goodbyes. "You chose good with her. Don't lose her."

"I won't Mia." He said "I love you" He said as he pulled her into yet another, but their final, hug.

"I love you too, Theta." With that she pushed open the door to the TARDIS and ushered him inside, closing the door behind her and walking away.

The TARDIS dematerialised as a boy of about 12 human years ran up the path to where his mother stood watching the spot where a TARDIS once stood.

"Who was that Mia, has Father come home?"

"No Theta, your Father isn't home yet, that was... The future."

Theta looked up at his mother. He was disappointed that his Father hadn't returned home and confused about her last statement. But he knew that he would find out in the future.

* * *

The Doctor sent the TARDIS into the vortex as he remembered that day a long time ago. He had got home to see a TARDIS disappearing and his mother being sad. She was sad for a few days after that but she cheered up when his Father returned home a few days later. He thought that she was missing his father when in reality she was missing him.

"Next stop San Francisco." He said to himself as he set the coordinates, and sat down with his thoughts. The console room had been empty when Mia had pushed him in and closed the door. He was glad of that, he would go and find them soon. Now he needed to be left alone.


	12. Chapter Eleven

A/N: Nearly finished now :-( This is the last chapter, just the epilogue now. So enjoy and I hope you like the endings.

* * *

It had been a long time since they had seen The Doctor.

When Rose had entered the TARDIS, leaving him outside, they had decided that he may want some privacy. So they left the console room for the kitchen. They knew he would come and find them when he was ready.

* * *

They were all sitting around the table talking idly, when The Doctor walked in. Rose went to him and gently kissed him before drawing him to the table to sit with them.

"So Doc, if your mother is human what was the telepathy ritual about?" Jack asked after a while of chit chat.

"In 1869, we met a girl called Gwyneth. She had 'The Sight'" Rose started when The Doctor didn't answer him. "He said that there are humans spread across time and space that had latent telepathy. Mia was one but she was born in 3562, when it wasn't frowned upon. She was taught to control and strengthen it. His father helped to develop it more with Timelord Technology. That's why she looks so young."

She reached for The Doctor's hand and continued. "When she dies of old age in a few years."

"I was at school when she died." The Doctor said, looking at the table. "I was taken home by the headmaster just after lunch, I knew something was wrong... We knew it was coming but that didn't make it any easier." Rose held his hand tighter. She wasn't sure if he was aware of the 3 of them sat in front of him."Father was there and held her through her last minutes. But I never had chance to say goodbye." As if realising they were there, he looked up. "That's why the TARDIS took me home. S I could say goodbye."

He stood pulling Rose with him and they left the kitchen.

Gwen reached for Jack as tears rolled down his face. He had never seen The Doctor like this before, and knew that he would have to go through the same pain with Gwen. But the pain would be more without her.

* * *

The Doctor led Rose back to the console room and back to the rug in front of the fire. They laid down and held each other tightly.

"Thank you" The Doctor whispered to Rose and the TARDIS.

Thanks to Mia, The Doctor could still feel the waves of love coming off Rose, now he knew they were there, he would always feel them.

* * *

They got up as the TARDIS started to materialise. She had landed exactly where he wanted her to, 1 minute after they left.

They left Eight's TARDIS for their own. She welcomed them joyfully. It may had been a minute for her, but she knew they had been away a while.

The Doctor silently put in the coordinates for Cardiff. He wanted some time free from running, so he thought that Torchwood Cardiff would be the best place. He knew that if anything was to happen, Torchwood could deal with it.

* * *

The team at Torchwood Cardiff, had been worrying about their two missing team members.

They had been missing for two weeks now without a trace. The team had left Jack and Gwen alone to get coffee, and when they had got back, they had gone. The CCTV didn't show anyone leaving the hub by either exit.

It was another quiet shift when they heard a groaning noise and papers started to flap about. The hand in the jar that Jack was protective of began to glow with the noise as it got louder.

"I know that noise" Tosh said as the TARDIS materialised in the middle of the hub.

The team drew their weapons and stood by what looked like a 1960's police public call box.

* * *

A man in a pinstripe suit exited the box. "You've taught them well, Jack" He shouted over his shoulder, while 3 guns were pointed at him.

He looked at them. Two white men and one Chinese woman. He thought he knew the woman. "Doctor Sato?"

"Yes... How do you know my name?"

"We met in Albion Hospital, during an alien attack on London..." At her blank face he continued. "Aliens faking aliens?" He smiled as realisation dawned on her face.

"But that wasn't you." She said matter-of-factly.

"Alien me." He said pointing his thumb into his chest.

Jack, who was stood behind him said. "We met in Albion Hospital too. But in 1941." He turned to Tosh before he continued. "So you met U-Boat captain too?"

"Hey I loved that leather jacket... Shame about the ears though." The Doctor, Jack and Rose burst into laughter at their blank faces, while Rose turned to Jack's team and showed them the picture she had shown Martha. Tosh confirmed that she had met that Doctor and they all joined in the joke.

* * *

That evening was spent catching up with old friends and making new ones.

Rose said tearful goodbye to Jack and Gwen, and left The Doctor with Jack, walking into the TARDIS saying something about finding that fireplace. (She found that fireplace later in her search where the TARDIS had put into their library.)

The Doctor and Jack were left alone to say goodbye.

They held each other close for a long moment. No words needed to be spoken for the time being.

They slowly drew apart.

"You're a good man Jack Harkness." The Doctor said with his hand on the back of Jack's neck. He leaned forward and whispered. "We'll be back for you..."

He turned and entered the TARDIS to find Rose.


	13. Epilogue

A/N: Sadly my story is now at an end. But more stories are in the pipeline. I hope you like the ending, even though I think you know what is going to happen in this epilogue as there is only one loose end to tie up. Well on with the ending.

* * *

Gwen had a good life. She was 66 years old when she died. She had the love of a good husband who despite his years still looked 35. She was laid in his arms as she took her final breath.

* * *

Jack felt her take her last breath as he held her, and tears ran down his face.

He held her tight before laying her down on the bed. He kissed her softly and said goodbye.

He walked into the hub from their apartment which was made from the converted lower floor cells, and straight into The Doctor's arms where he broke down again.

He felt another presence as Rose held him from behind, so that he was sandwiched between them.

There was no words that needed to be said as they comforted him in his grief.

* * *

At Gwen's funeral, not many people were there. Their life had been quite private.

Jack was treated as though he was her son, but he didn't care. He loved Gwen, that was all that mattered.

When the funeral was over The Doctor and Rose took Jack back to the hub where the TARDIS sat.

Jack took out his key and opened the TARDIS door. He took one last look at the hub and left his old life behind to continue an even older one.

* * *

A/N: I know it is short but I couldn't make the ending any longer. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing.

Thanks to my many reviewers, without you I wouldn't have continued.


End file.
